


Reborn (Again and Again)

by gunpowder_and_pearls



Series: Phoenix Zuko verse [2]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Assassination, Don’t worry the death is temporary, Fire Lord Zuko, Hurt Zuko (Avatar), Poor Guards, Poor Iroh, Zuko giving heart attacks since 1997, phoenix zuko
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-03-04 12:07:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24969436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gunpowder_and_pearls/pseuds/gunpowder_and_pearls
Summary: Zuko forgets that the fact that he’s a phoenix isn’t common knowledge, especially not among the guards that dot the palace hallways.This comes to a head during his fifth assassination attempt.Or, Zuko gives all of the palace guards and servants heart attacks.
Series: Phoenix Zuko verse [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1807297
Comments: 22
Kudos: 797





	Reborn (Again and Again)

Zuko forgets that the fact that he’s a phoenix isn’t common knowledge, especially not among the guards that dot the palace hallways. 

Some know, he knows that. He remembers their faces as they led them to his father, to his  _ sister- _

Some of the servants know as well. 

It was just that Zuko has completely underestimated their loyalty to him. Even now, not a single one of the people who witnessed him dying, over and over and  _ over  _ again, deep in the bowels of the palace, have let a word slip about what they saw. 

This comes to a head during his fifth assassination attempt. 

Ozai still has supporters scattered across the nations, rich people who were benefiting off the war by selling weapons or armor, generals who believe that the Fire Nation should still be attempting to conquer the other nations. 

The last several assassination efforts had failed due to both his unusual skill in fighting hand-to-hand, as firebenders don’t usually learn how to fight past firebending, and his advisor’s insistence at having someone taste his food for poison. 

There had only been one close call, ending with the assassin sprawled at Zuko’s feet, out cold, and leaving Zuko with a scar slicing across one of his cheeks. 

He found out later that the guards outside his room had been knocked unconscious before they could raise an alarm. 

The newest assassin is much more skilled in both blade and fire than their predecessors. Zuko barely avoids their first strike by rolling off his bed, their dagger sending plumes of feathers into the air from his pillow. 

Zuko lets out a yell for help, knowing that his guards will be there in seconds, when the man - for they  _ were  _ a man - tackled him, his legs trapping Zuko’s, and one of his hands pinning the Fire Lord’s arms to the floor. He’s too heavy for Zuko to buck him off, but he tries anyway. 

He only succeeds in becoming more helpless, with the assassin now leaning his full weight against Zuko’s chest. 

The door to his bedroom bursts open to allow several guards and a few servants in, just as the assassin raises his free hand. The torchlight from his guards shines on the metal in his grip. 

“Die, boy-king.”

The hand comes slashing down and Zuko can only watch as it descends. His guards surge forward as one, wordless shouts spilling from their lips, but they are too late to stop it. 

The dagger buries itself in his chest as the assassin is hauled off of him and pinned to the ground, the guards being far from gentle as they send the man spiraling into unconsciousness. 

Zuko chokes, watching through half-lidded eyes as both servants and guards surround him, panic clear on their faces as they try to staunch the bleeding long enough for a healer to save him. 

He claws at the dagger, the only thought in his head being to  _ get it out _ , because it was what was causing this  _ pain _ , he  _ needs  _ to pull it out, he needs it to  _ stop- _

He pulls in one last shuddering breath and then relaxes, his hand dropping to the side as his eyes slip closed. The last thing he hears is terrified shouts that fade to whispers when the darkness finally envelopes him. 

\------

He wakes up with a start, just as he always does each time he is reborn, shoving away a heavy weight from his face. The too-familiar smell of ashes stuffs its way up his nose and he huffs in annoyance. 

Just  _ once _ , could he come back to the scent of the spicy noodles dish that is his favorite meal from the kitchens? 

Zuko lets out a cough, idly rubbing at his eyes when his vision refuses to clear. 

It looks as though it had only been an hour or so since the successful assassination, with feathers covering the floor around his bed and burn marks on the edges of his doorframe from when his guards came to help him. 

He’s alone in his room, with one of his blankets covering him from the shoulders down, the top folded back from when he pushed it off of his face. 

They undoubtedly went to find Uncle, likely both informing him of Zuko’s demise and asking him what to do with the Fire Lord’s body. He’s also second in line to the throne, no matter how much he doesn’t want it. 

His guards are just lucky that Uncle is visiting this week.

Zuko hauls himself to his feet and steadies himself against his bed post, the sudden movement sending spots to fill his vision. 

It takes a few moments for him to be steady enough to walk, but he forces his head up as he steps out into the hallway. For a moment, the space is frozen. 

The two guards who are always stationed outside his door are on the ground, shoulders slumped and heads lowered, but they pale the moment he shuffles into their line of vision. They both look as though they’re seeing a ghost. 

He supposes that in a way, they are. 

One of the few servants who had been walking through the hallways as he made his appearance unfreezes, sprinting in the direction of Uncle’s chambers. 

Zuko gives the half dozen guards who are stock-still around him a shaky smile. 

“...I’m...a phoenix?”

\-----

The assassination attempts stop the moment Zuko’s spirit blessed status is announced to the public, either due to not wanting to risk angering the spirits or the sheer effort that has to go into killing a phoenix born.

Zuko doesn’t really care why they stopped. 

He’s grateful not to have to deal with a vengeful attacker every other night and can instead try to sleep more. 

Agni knows he needs all the sleep he can get. 

Now he just has to deal with the awed looks that are shot his way whenever the junior guards don’t think he’s looking. 

At least the more senior ones understand his hatred of excessive attention. 


End file.
